RNC loses big donors, and NRSC finds them – TheHill

RNC loses big donors, and NRSC finds them

The Republican National Committee has seen high-dollar donors leave in droves, an exodus sources blame on early staff turnover and an aggressive push by other GOP committees to win the moneymen over.

The RNC has raised just $663,100 from large donors, according to a review of data filed with the Federal Election Commission. In 2007, that number topped $6.7 million.

During the first six months of the year, fundraising among those who give more than $20,000 has dropped 90 percent from the same time in 2007 and is off 93 percent from the first half of 2005.

Sources who specialize in fundraising blame the dramatic drop on the staff turnover that followed the election of a new party chairman, Michael Steele. Several top fundraisers at the RNC left for other positions in Washington after Steele took over the RNC, not an uncommon occurrence when a new chairman takes charge.